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A few weeks ago, I noticed that my Internet connection had slowed down to a crawl. I waited a few days hoping it would go away on its own, but it didn't get better. So I asked this question about how to make it faster.
The problem went away after I updated to the latest firmware, so I didn't follow up too carefully. But every few days since then, my Internet has slowed down again. Unlike before, all I have to do to fix it is open the router administration page and press the "Reboot" button. Nothing else seems to work, though I'm sure there are options I haven't tried.
If it makes a difference, my girlfriend and I both transfer large amounts of data fairly routinely for school (videoconferencing, downloading entire recorded lectures).
The router is a Cisco/Linksys WRT160N v3 that's about a year old. Most of the time, it deals with just two standard Windows 7 laptops.
The only thing I came across while searching for answers/dupes was this unresolved question, which seems similar superficially, but probably doesn't have the same root issue.
What could be causing these slowdowns, and how can I get rid of them?
EDIT :
After asking this followup question, I installed dd-wrt on my router, and I seem to be getting higher and more consistent speeds. Perhaps more importantly, my memory use is fairly constant. I know this isn't an answer — which is why I'm not posting it as an answer — but it is how I resolved the situation, and hopefully it'll be helpful for someone.
1Linksys routers, in my experience, need an occasional reboot. While I don't know the reason for it, I've learnt to live with it. – None – 2011-03-12T00:16:41.920
1I've had the same issue with an old D-link (very old, I no longer use it). The problem causing the issue is best described in technical terms as "dodgy firmware". In other words, there are firmware defects. – quickly_now – 2011-03-12T00:20:01.857
What @RandolphPotter said. Linksys makes good routers, but they need a reboot every week or two. – Shinrai – 2011-03-12T00:25:57.133
1All SOHO routers are guilty of this. Linksys, Netgear, Dlink, Airlink101, Buffalo, Belkin, 3Com, etc, all will have this trait commonly. If you want a router that will last much longer and has more memory and faster processor clock cycles, purchase a Cisco, Samsung, Sonicwall, Adtran, Edgewater, etc. – MaQleod – 2011-03-12T03:24:28.200